Analyzing The Delinquency Of Juvenile Gang Among The Gen Z In Urban Bangladesh: Perspective Of Social Disorganization And Strain Theory

Abstract

This study investigates the burgeoning phenomenon of juvenile gang culture—locally known as “Kishore Gangs”—among Generation Z in the rapidly urbanizing metropolises of Dhaka and Chittagong, Bangladesh. It seeks to understand how the interplay of environmental factors and psychological stressors drives youth toward delinquent subcultures. Adopting a qualitative case study design with an ethnographic lens, the research utilized semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. Data were collected from 17 participants, including 10 active or former gang members (aged 15–20) and 7 key informants (police, parents, and community leaders). Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the lived experiences of these youth within their socio-political landscape. The study reveals that gang affiliation is a “negotiated survival strategy” emerging from three distinct dynamics: (1) An environmental vacuum where a lack of formal social control is replaced by “organized disorganization” and political patronage; (2) General strain caused by a “digital-material conflict,” where Gen Z’s globalized digital aspirations collide with stagnant economic realities; and (3) The formation of a survivalist identity where motorcycles, social media visibility, and ties to political “Big Brothers” (Boro Bhais) serve as essential status markers and protective shields. This research fills a critical gap by integrating Social Disorganization and General Strain theories within the specific context of 2025 Bangladesh. It argues that Gen Z delinquency is not merely a rejection of norms, but a rational response to an institutional vacuum where political morphology harvests juvenile energy in exchange for subcultural protection.

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